DIY Hummus

Helllooo everyone! Yes I am alive and still blogging- just been on a bit of a hiatus with school, finals, spring break, birthday, yadda yadda yadda. But enough with the excuses and onto the food! Hummus, oh hummus... where do I even begin? Hummus is one of my favorite go-to snacks that I make probably at least once or twice a month to just have on hand to snack on, spread on wraps/sandwiches, etc.  I was introduced to the art of making hummus in college by a fantastic roommate of mine, Kayla, who made the best hummus ever and even made hummus as part of a job interview activity (yes, true story).  I love it so much now that just recently I was paid in homemade hummus to dog-sit a coworker's dog (also, a true story).  It's super high in protein and fiber thanks to the almighty chickpeas, so it's a great, healthy, filling snack anytime of day or year. I know there are tons are store-bought brands of hummus out there that are pretty decent, but why buy it from the store when you can make it so cheaply and easily and personalized at home?! My favorite thing about making hummus is that it is such a flexible and forgiving recipe that you can change in so many different ways based on what you have on hand or what you like (think- extra garlicy, roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomato & basil, spicy hot, and the list goes on and is only limited by your imagination!). So below is just my recipe for the super basic hummus, to which you can add nothing and keep it traditional; or add any number of other ingredients to spice it up a bit. You definitely gotta try this and once you do- you'll never buy hummus from the store again! 

BASIC HUMMUS RECIPE

2 cans chickpeas, drained

1 clove garlic, minced

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1-2 tblsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tblsp tahini (this is just sesame seed paste, of which you can find a big tub at the grocery store for about $5-6 that will last you a long time)

Water (add as need to thin out, maybe about 1/2 cup or so)

Dash of cumin

Salt/pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. If you have a food processor or blender, put the chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and tahini in and begin blending/processing, adding water as you go to thin out the hummus. You can also put all these ingredients in a large bowl and use an immersion blender to get the job done (my favorite kitchen tool!) 

2. Continue blending until the hummus has reached a smooth, creamy consistency. Add salt, pepper, and cumin to taste. Et voila! Dip with some fresh, chopped veggies or pita chips! 

Other add-ins
Any kind of herb (parsley, basil, cilantro, etc.)
Extra garlic
Caramelized onions
Mashed sweet potatoes or butternut squash
Sun-dried tomatoes
Mexican spices (chipotle chili powder, cumin, red chili flakes)

Any other favorites/suggestions? What is you favorite kind of hummus??